WEBVTT - Create a box of fun

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to have a box of fun. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know about you, but I actually like those baskets

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<v Speaker 1>of random treats that people send around the holidays. I

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<v Speaker 1>like finding a new candy or new kind of cheese,

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<v Speaker 1>even if I don't actually wind up eating the items

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<v Speaker 1>in question. One of my favorite baby gifts I've ever

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<v Speaker 1>received was a wagon filled with random toys, books, and outfits.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a collection of stuff to discover and it can

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<v Speaker 1>be quite enjoyable. Now, this is particularly true for smaller sorts,

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<v Speaker 1>whether you have kids of your own or not. Kids

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<v Speaker 1>surely visit your home every now and then, or at

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<v Speaker 1>least will in the future when socializing returns to normal.

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<v Speaker 1>You can become a favorite destination by all always having

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<v Speaker 1>a box of fun on hand for your young guests

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<v Speaker 1>to peruse and enjoy. And when they're happy, everyone else

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<v Speaker 1>will be happy, and that can create a lot of goodwill. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>a box of fun doesn't have to be particularly fancy.

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<v Speaker 1>Buy a plastic storage container and then fill it with

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<v Speaker 1>some all purpose toys and art supplies. Such as cryans

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<v Speaker 1>and paper or coloring books, a slinky matchbox, cars, a

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<v Speaker 1>word fine book, a deck of cards, dolls, stuffed animals, legos,

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<v Speaker 1>and so on. You may already have some of these

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<v Speaker 1>things in your house and that could go in your

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<v Speaker 1>box of Fun. If not, ten dollars at the dollar

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<v Speaker 1>store can go a long way. If you're not sure

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<v Speaker 1>what to include, you could enlist in older child's help

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<v Speaker 1>to select items for the box. Now, this box is

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<v Speaker 1>nothing earth shattering, but branding it as a box of

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<v Speaker 1>Fun or with another name of your choosing makes it

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<v Speaker 1>a thing. It makes it feel special and intentional. You

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<v Speaker 1>are not just handing a child a random toy and

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<v Speaker 1>asking the child to entertain themselves. You've curated an assortment

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<v Speaker 1>of items with their delight in mind. Maybe you call

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<v Speaker 1>it a treasure chest or a recreation station, though I

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<v Speaker 1>personally like box of fun. Just give it a name

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<v Speaker 1>to make it feel special. When kids know you have

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<v Speaker 1>this box of fun, they'll ask for it by name

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<v Speaker 1>when they get to your house. Opening the box of

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<v Speaker 1>Fun will be a happy ritual when they arrive and

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<v Speaker 1>see what new items you've included. You can store the

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<v Speaker 1>box of Fun in a coat closet or mudroom so

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<v Speaker 1>that it's accessible as soon as it's requested. Having a

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<v Speaker 1>box of fun ensures that all your guests feel welcome

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<v Speaker 1>and lets you interact with your young friend's parents while

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<v Speaker 1>the kids stay happily entertained. Now, I know that most

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<v Speaker 1>families with kids feel like the house is already overrun

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<v Speaker 1>with toys, but it might be helpful for parants to

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<v Speaker 1>create a box of fun too. If a client or

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<v Speaker 1>your boss calls unexpectedly and you need something to occupy

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<v Speaker 1>the kids, a box of fun can do the trick.

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<v Speaker 1>A new toy or two will occupy the child for

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<v Speaker 1>at least a little bit, meaning that maybe, just maybe,

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<v Speaker 1>you can take your call in peace. What would you

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<v Speaker 1>put in a box of fun? If you create one,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear all about it, because I am

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<v Speaker 1>always looking for ideas. You can reach me at Before

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<v Speaker 1>Breakfast podcast at ihart media dot com. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the

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<v Speaker 1>number four, then Breakfast p O D. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia

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<v Speaker 1>dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all

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<v Speaker 1>the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying

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<v Speaker 1>in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio.

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